


Tenderly

by SomeGoodSheith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (but just as a visit), Alternate Universe - Canon, Cuddles, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, alternate setting - a foreign planet (again), it's just them being cute and hopeful as they deserve, lots of pink, soft touches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 02:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13871247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeGoodSheith/pseuds/SomeGoodSheith
Summary: After reaching a peaceful foregin planet, Keith discovers a place that inspires him to dream big and be sweet.Shiro can appreciate that.





	Tenderly

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MelMeikoMeiLing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelMeikoMeiLing/gifts).



Keith gazes upon a glowing pink sky. It’s not one shade of pink - the color is darkening into boudreaux as it gets farther away from the bright spot of sun in the distance, that is currently on the red paladin’s left side. Ahead of him is the foreign planet’s largest beach, with the water rustling in a familiar manner. 

This planet is as peaceful as Coran and Allura has suggested. The locals are kind and welcoming, and accepted the offer of alliance with Voltron right away. They have showed the paladins around, let them see their lands and culture. 

One of the locals - a female leader named Rashka, ranked no less than an equivalent to the humans’  _ Colonel _ , has decided to show Keith this place when the others were busy. 

“This is the Flower Sea,” she explains to him through her translating speaker. The waves are colored in deep red, reflecting the warm color of the sky. “If you look carefully, you can see that the liquid of this place isn't like any other.”

“What do you mean?” he asks, curious. 

Rashka hums within her grin. “As I explained before to your Princess’ advisor, the thing you know as ‘water’ does not exist here. We live on other nutrients,” she explains. “This sea in particular is unique. Look at the waves the best way you can - what do you see?”

Keith steps closer to the coastline and kneels. He fixes his gaze on the nearby waves, and once he realizes what it is, he gasps in awe: the “water” is actually made of tiny flowers that connect to each other with some sort of gelatinous liquid. The gel and the flowers both lack color, which allows them to absorb the sky's shades of pink and reflect them.

“I've never seen anything like that,” he says softly. He reaches his hand to carefully touch it, and finds it feels exactly like normal water would. However, the flowers slip off of his hand easily and leave it dry. 

“This is the only place in our entire solar system that has such a rare natural phenomenon. That is why we need to restrict the amount of tourists per bart. Before you ask - a bart is equal to about a day and a half in your human calendar,” she smiles. “And even when tourists do come here, their freedom of movement is restrained.”

“Why?” Keith turns his head towards Rashka to listen more attentively. 

“Because this is our customary place of joining lives into one.”

“Joining lives?” Keith tilts his head. 

“Yes. For a lifetime.”

Oh. “You mean marriage.”

She pushes a button on her translator device, and tilts her head curiously. “I do not have a translation for that word, but if that is how you chose to call it, then yes. The ceremony is not sacred, but we do like our privacy reserved as much as we can, even during touring season.”

Keith nods and raises himself up on his feet. His steps towards her are heavy on the sand - which isn't sand at all, he assumes. He stops just beside her, his eyes focused with the question he has in mind. “Why did you choose to take me here?” 

Rashka turns her head towards him and smiles. “I thought it would be to your liking,” she says simply. “Our people can identify powerful positive emotions in our kind and in others. That is how, despite having an army, we remain peaceful with anyone who comes across us. For example, most of your team members - they have positive emotions, mainly of friendship, alliance and kindness in their hearts. You… you have something stronger than that.”

Keith's eyes widened a bit. His lips part, but he doesn't speak. Instead, he tries to hide his blush by looking down. 

“There is another of your group, however, who resembles your feelings.” Upon seeing him shooting back his gaze at her, Rashka smiles. “You should let them know. It is rare, even amongst our people, to experience such intense feelings for one another.”

He bites his lower lip for a moment and bows his head again. The reddish light that is reflecting on him manages to hide his blush only when it softens. “... They already know,” he smiles shyly.

The smile that decorates her lips widens. She can hear his speeding heartbeat in her mind, and the sound is so pleasant, so sincere. The one he loves, she knows, must deserve the whole universe in the palms of his hands. “I am glad to hear it,” she says. Then a spot of light on the collar of her suit is blinking twice, and she looks at Keith apologetically. “You should stay here a bit longer and enjoy the view. Now, if you please excuse me, my queen is requesting my presence immediately.” She bows at him, and he does the same, before she makes her way back to the city. 

Keith looks at her until she's gone, and then turns his gaze to the Flower Sea. He thinks of everything Rashka told him, and before he knows it, his mind wanders someplace else. It takes him to far fantasies of calm sceneries, foreign weddings; of him holding hands with his loved one, standing in front of him, gazing into his eyes after exchanging their rings and leaning closer and closer until - 

“This place is beautiful, isn't it?” The familiar voice pulls him back to reality. Shiro stands beside him calmly, his helmet underneath his farther arm and his eyes gaze is directed far ahead. His closer hand soon finds its way on Keith’s head, fingers spreading and brushing into his thick mullet. 

Keith chuckles and leans into the touch. “Rashka just told me some cool facts about it,” he tells his lover just before kissing his cheek.

Now it’s Shiro’s turn to beam. “Well… Allura said we have a bit more time before we need to leave. Why don’t we sit here and you’d tell me about it?”

“Sounds good,” Keith agrees. They both sit down on the sandy ground, close enough that their shoulders touch and their knees are leaning atop each other. Keith tells Shiro everything Rashka did before, yet while he is talking, he notices his lover isn’t looking at the horizon, but rather - at him. It makes him blink and tilt his head. “... What?”

“Mm… nothing,” Shiro coos, deciding to run his palm softly against Keith's cheek and hair. He chuckles when his lover presses into the touch again. “It's just really lovely… to be here with you. Such a special place… for my special boyfriend.”

Keith blushes again. “Shut up,” he murmurs, playfully pushing his lover's shoulder, only to put his forehead against it a moment later. 

“No, I'm just saying…” the black paladin grins, pulling Keith as closely as he can by wrapping both of his arms around his thin body. He leans his cheek on the other one's head, nuzzling into the dark locks of hair. “... A wedding here isn't a bad idea.”

Eyes widening, Keith does his best not to jump out of Shiro's embrace. “Are you saying… What I think you're saying?” he almost stutters. 

“Maybe one day… When the war is over and everything's right again...” He lifts his head up to let his lover look at him, his smile lingers sincerely on his face, tender and kind. “What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

A breath escapes Keith's throat, as his violet eyes sparkle with hope. Nothing would be better than this. “How could I ever resist such a beautiful smile?” he whispers, cupping Shiro's cheek in his small palm. His touch is so soft, so comforting, that his boyfriend doesn't seem to have enough of it. 

Then he pulls Shiro close, and presses his lips against the other set with such delicacy - only such an old love as theirs could handle it. The kiss, however fragile, lasts for a long, sweet moment, that fits the bright pink scenery perfectly. 

It's only when Keith leans back and hears the sound of their mouths part, that he realizes his eyes were closed the entire time. But now, that they look at each other again, so tenderly, he knows that even if their promise isn't kept and they never make their way back here to  _ join their lives together for a lifetime _ \- it doesn't mean they would part ways. 

It's a fact that they both know and cherish in their chests, deep inside their hearts. 

“Do you wanna go back?” Shiro asks within a whisper, his arms tighten around his boyfriend's waist nonetheless. 

“... No.” Keith whispers back. 

They lean back and lay, cuddled, on the sand that isn't really sand, listening to the sea that isn't really made of water. 

But their feelings are true, and it's all that matters. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you [that-meiko-girl](http://that-meiko-girl.tumblr.com/) aka MelMeikoMeiLing for being so so supportive and kind. You deserve much more than I can provide. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked the fic, and I would love it if you consider commenting and telling me what you think :D


End file.
